A severely autistic woman, who died almost three years ago, could have been saved by doctors, a surgeon has said during an inquest.

Robin Kitt Callender, 53, formerly of Alpha Road, Chingford, died less than 24 hours after being admitted to King George’s Hospital in Goodmayes, on May 23 2012.

A post-mortem examination gave Ms Callender’s cause of death as severe anaemia, septicaemia and hypoglycemic shock as a result of internal bleeding and chronic inflammation of the bowel.

Several GPs, social workers, doctors and the care home manager at Perrymans Care Home in Abbey Road, Barkingside, where Ms Callender resided, have given evidence at the three-day inquest at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court.

Yesterday (March 6) an independent surgical expert at University College London (UCL) said Ms Callender’s death could have been avoided if she was not discharged from King George’s Hospital on March 22 2012.

Ms Callender was in “shock and was critically ill” when she entered the A&E department with abdomen pains.

Her learning disabilities meant Ms Callender could not speak, read or write and her vulnerable state made it “very difficult to communicate and doctors were therefore unable to assess her capacity”, coroner Nadia Persaud said.

It was decided Ms Calllender, who was also partially sighted, would be discharged the next day as she was "extremely distressed and agitated, she lived in a care home and had no previous history" of these particular symptoms.

The clinical head of surgery and clinical Lead for colorectal surgery at the Royal Free Hospital, Professor Marc Winslet, said: "She should have been seen by a clinician. I would not be happy if she was not referred to the surgical team.

"A blood test would have highlighted inflammatory markers compatible with inflammatory bowel disease and a CT scan could have shown possible appendicitis.

"This would have led to a colonoscopy which would have shown changes compatible with Crohn’s disease. Robin would have been referred to a medical team to undergo treatment and gone into remission.

"I would expect all such cases involving adults with learning disabilities to be referred." 

Sister Karen Callendar Caplan, 68, of Alpha Road, was told the day before her sister died that she was ill.

Her care, costing a £1,200 per week was paid for by the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

She said: "It has taken three years of investigation to get to where we are today.

"It has been an uphill struggle since the very beginning. 

"She wasn’t of first importance, society has a lot to answer to when it comes to how we treat people like Robin.

 "Her death was avoidable. My sister should never have died. She was much-loved, adorable and very cheerful."

The verdict is due at Walthamstow Coroner’s Court on March 17.